Questions tagged [receptacle]
A contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug.
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How can I fix electrical outlets that don't "hold" plugs that are plugged in to them?
In short, most of the outlets in my house have one working receptacle and one that any cord plugged in will immediately slip out of. Some of my outlets don't have any working receptacles (I hope I'm ...
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Why does this receptacle have the ground tied to the neutral?
I was replacing some outlets in my house with tamper-resistant ones, and came across one where the white and ground were wired together, as seen in this picture. Why? Is that okay or appropriate ...
30
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Four outlet / Four USB charging station stuck in outlet
We have a "charging station" that has four USB ports on front and four regular outlets, two on each side, that was plugged into a bathroom outlet.
Now I am trying to remove it, but it seems ...
29
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Why is there only one receptacle in this outlet?
This looks like an outlet with only one receptacle, but why?
It's mounted about 7' up, in a basement-level room in a school building. It is stamped 15A/125V, but I've never seen something like this ...
29
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3
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Unused outlets get warm when others under load
When we run moderately high power devices (around 8-9 amps, e.g. vacuum cleaner, portable AC, small space heater), the other unused outlets on the same circuit get warm/hot after 15-30 minutes. The ...
28
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When wiring outlets should I use pigtails or both sets of outlet screws?
I'm replacing the outlets in our house and pulled out one that had two black and two white cables. My first thought was that it was two circuits, one of them being switched, but then realized the tab ...
28
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3
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Now I realize I used too many GFCI outlets. How can I reclaim them?
Yeah, so the building inspector redflagged a bunch of outlets for not being GFCI. Before I understood how the LOAD terminals work, I just replaced every single one with a GFCI outlet. Most had a ...
27
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Why don't electrical receptacles have more than one ground?
All modern receptacles have places for additional hot/neutral wires so you can add more outlets in series, but they all have a single screw or hole for the ground wire.
Why don't they have two ground ...
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Do I really need to include a wall switched lighting outlet in every room?
According to the Black & Decker Wiring book, the NEC indicates that each room should include at least one "switch-operated lighting outlet". Is that true even in rooms that have overhead ...
25
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Why do single electrical receptacles exist?
Given that the following are true.
They are the same size.
They take the same amount of work to install.
Doubles are twice as useful.
Double adapters are a thing.
Why do single electrical ...
24
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How do I properly wire GFCI outlets in parallel?
I have two countertop outlets in my kitchen that I am in the process of replacing with new, GFCI-protected outlets. These two outlets are on a circuit together, and they are the only loads on that ...
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What's the standard height for an outlet?
I am installing outlets in my patio room. What is the standard height recommended above the ground for these to be installed?
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Is my repair to this plug safe?
The red copper wire was burned so I took out the burnt part of the wire and reinserted all the wires by myself.
23
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What types of electrical outlets are found in a typical home in the USA?
I do not live in the USA. If I were to buy a home in the USA, what are the key facts I should know about USA household electrical supply at outlets in homes? E.g. when buying a clothes dryer or other ...
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First time changing switches and outlets (receptacles). Anything special I should know?
I am replacing a bunch of switches and receptacles in my house.
While I understand the basics, this is pretty much my first electrical project, and I figure there must be some hidden "gotchas" or ...